Livecode is a C++ or programming language

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liveme
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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by liveme » Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:33 am

describing programming languages as generations 1,2,3,4 & 5 is hugely over-simplistic and rather misleading.
..as I was saying, if your client worked in coding, you could point him to the LC page and he could read all about it by himself.

If he did not, and still ask about the tool, and since you're talking to a non coder prof. :
Trying to explain complicated stuff to a limited tecnical understanding curious client, probably will generate even more questions that the general public cant grasp the answers, to some extend. So going simplistic - due to this limitation and time running - it is likely the best way to show that you DO care for clients questions while you still need to move ahead to close this deal.

You probably dont want to go into rocket science lessons with people who dont get them :lol: ...or think another language is "already" their favorite one but dont tell you !

All one needs to know asap is if THIS client is trusting your codes skill and abilities to close the deal soon...or if they just want to keep questioning your tools, skills or however you like to work...
Keep it simple !

PS: and if you could show them, some Portfolio - even 1 App. This is probably "worth a Ted Talk" in itself... :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by mwieder » Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:02 am

To bring this back to the OP's original question, the LiveCode engine is written in C++. And thus the github label.
But the LiveCode programming environment that is built on top of the C++ engine is a scripting language on a level with ruby, python, etc.

So if the question is something like "can we run standard security suites on the engine" then probably yes.
If the question is more to the point of "can we hire C++ programmers off the street who can hit the ground running" then probably no.

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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by richmond62 » Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:23 am

"can we hire C++ programmers off the street who can hit the ground running"
One of my next-door neighbours is a senior programmer in an outsourcing company
(Plovdiv, Bulgaria is the new Kiev, Ukraine) and spends about 8-10 hours a day up to his eyeballs in C++.

He was interested in what I was doing with Primary children last June,
so I told him and he downloaded LiveCode and installed it onto one of his machines.

About a week later he told me that he found it difficult to work with because it involved a whole different
mental paradigm to C++.

So, while LiveCode may have been put together using C++, it very definitely is NOT C++.

And very, very few C++ programmers are going to "hit the ground running"; there will be a few
conceptual hurdles initially.

Over the last 6 years I have also had undergraduate students from the University and High School
children from the Mathematical school who have all been "rolling around" in C++, C# and Visual BASIC
as interns in my Primary classes . . .

. . . The theory behind these interns is that they would assist the children in getting their heads
round certain programming concepts . . .

. . . The practise has been that ALL of these interns have had 2 problems:

1. As they are between 19 and 24 their brains are not as flexible as 9-12 year olds.

2. Their brains have been "poisoned" by the way things are done in C++, C# and VB.

These problems meant that the 9-12 year olds generally managed to complete
"Richmond's predictable Calculator project" well before those interns.

Imagine the situation where, 15 minutes after introducing a 23 year old woman
who is doing a Masters degree in programming and machine automation at the
Technical University as a skilled programmer to a bunch of prepubescent kids who,
at "best", have fooled around with SCRATCH, they see this woman crying because
she cannot hit the ground crawling with LiveCode.

Later on that woman, who, to give her a truckload of credit, wiped her eyes and
told the children that they should show her what to do (what a belter to the ego),
said that she felt that the LiveCode classes were useful to her insofar as they
pushed her out of her comfort zone.

At the risk of writing a forbidden word, I will point out (just in case someone hasn't got the idea yet)
that HYPERCARD broke a mould, and that new mould is preserved in LiveCode.

I should also point out that in 1993, when I first encountered Hypercard, my mind had been 'poisoned'
by FORTRAN, BASIC and PASCAL to the extent that it took me a while to work out what was going on with HyperCard.

I was lucky, having only a 6 month old baby in a cot next to the computer to witness my tears. 8)

It should be said, said, and reiterated until everyone is blue in the face, that LiveCode is a different
way of doing things to C++ and friends.

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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by subodhh » Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:39 pm

I am a complete newbie to LiveCode. But need to learn how to use it quickly. I know C well, C++ not so well. I would love to learn to program in C using LC. Based on this thread and what I found, it doesn't seem like it's possible.

If it's possible to program algorithms (not GUI widgets) then I would love to learn from someone willing to tutor. Just don't know the right forum etc. Please excuse me if this is not the right place.
mwieder wrote:
Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:02 am
To bring this back to the OP's original question, the LiveCode engine is written in C++. And thus the github label.
But the LiveCode programming environment that is built on top of the C++ engine is a scripting language on a level with ruby, python, etc.

So if the question is something like "can we run standard security suites on the engine" then probably yes.
If the question is more to the point of "can we hire C++ programmers off the street who can hit the ground running" then probably no.

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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by richmond62 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:14 pm

I would love to learn to program in C using LC.
Hey, I would love to learn to speak in Hindi by speaking Icelandic, but it isn't going to happen as, while those two languages
share a common ancestor, they are sufficiently different to block any chances of that happening.

subodhh
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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by subodhh » Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:12 pm

Thanks, Richard. I figured that by playing with the LC 9-1 after I wrote the post. Sorry, should have deleted a foot-in-the-mouth post but I will leave it as a reminder for myself to RTFM.

For some odd reason this bulletin board interpreted "LC 9 period 1" string as an external image/link.

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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by mwieder » Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:36 pm

It's certainly a different thing.
OTOH, I find that I'm four or five times more efficient coding in LiveCode than I am in C. So if you can hang with the six weeks or so it takes for the new paradigm to sink in, I think the payoff is well worth it.

subodhh
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Re: Livecode is a C++ or programming language

Post by subodhh » Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:08 pm

Hi mweider,

I would love to learn some basics (please see my post "Any Tutor") from anyone who has about 1-2 hours to teach some basic ideas. I am quite familiar with C. A recruiter wants me to learn LiveCode so his team can interview me. Questions are not going to be beyond basic algorithm 101 types. I just need to get familar with the development envrionment enough to not fumble during the short interview time.

Would you or do you know of someone who can tutor me?

Thanks a lot.

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